Announcing...

...my Boutique is finally open for business!

After some hair pulling trouble with the satellite uplink, I am finally able to place new items in the boutique at a one-at-a-time-as-it-lets-me-basis. But don't give up - I will remain at this until it all gets posted and the satellite issues are finally and totally resolved.

So please check it out at www.poladora.etsy.com and let me know what you think! While you're doing that, I'll be here pounding away at the keys and camera button while nursing that pounding headache I've had for days now...

Happy Birthday Treece!

YES! Different daughter - same month... We spent the day going to dinner, shopping for anything RED, and she opened her most treasured gift of all - RED shoes! (From her sister.)

Happy Birthday Tereena...

Well, I finally got together with my daughter Tereena. We met for his gifts and went out for pizza together with three of my grandchildren, and Dad and Grandpa as well. Soooo, now I can show you what I made for her from the fabric "Dolce", that I showed you earlier...

This is a "totse" (that's pronounced "TOTE-SEE" - part tote, part purse). I used three different fabrics from the designer line "Dolce". The bottom of the totse is all hand-embroidered and beaded with some machine quilting. (I like to hand-embroider whenever possible since it seems to be a dying art these days with the new embroidery machines that make it so easy. OK, I confess, I own one of those machines myself...)

The straps are double-quilted with Warm & Natural all cotton batting for ease on the hand when carrying something heavy. The totse is machine wash and dry and can be ironed.

The next picture illustrates the lining, complete with pockets for glasses, cell phone, and/or passport, and a machine wash and dry removable hard bottom.

This picture simply illustrates the square bottom of the totse.

And finally, the dress...just like the one my grandmother made for me when I was graduating from eighth grade - can you believe it? It's just a simple empire waist, all cotton dress with an invisible zipper. The bodice is lined with the coordinating Dolce fabric that you see on the bottom of the totse. I added side pockets just for fun...

This ensemble, you will not see on my Etsy site, Poladora. But, there will be other similar creations - and remember, no two items will ever be the same.

Vanilla Bean Mocha Meringue...

...becomes a "totse" (that's tote and purse combined):

Items like this will begin to slowly migrate into my new Etsy shop Poladora beginning on or before August 1st!


In the meantime, I've added a couple of items that are custom-order only to the shop.


Back to work!...

Vanilla Bean...

Here's just a quick peek at another Vanilla Bean Mocha Meringue project I'm working on for Poladora, my new Etsy boutique. Just think...just 10 more days before the shop opens! Geeze...I'd better get to work!

How's This for Texture?...

Introducing...

"Vanilla Bean

Mocha Meringue".

Vanilla Bean completes the family of color schemes I will be using with the Mocha Meringue coordinates of fabric that I have.

The other two are Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut.

This particular coordinate presented a great opportunity for puckering, as well as selective beading. This is a real closeup so the beads are smaller than they look. For those beaders out there, they are size 11/0. (The next smallest size is what I like to call bead "dust" - and yes, I am crazy enough to use beads that small as well.)

This is a wider view of above - another toss pillow for the Mocha Meringue family that I finished today. The back and one-half of the front is crocheted using one of the most deliciously soft yarns I've ever used. I just want to sit and pet the pillow. (Of course, I'd get the "look" from Teddy if I did that.) The beads on the fabric are itty bitty hexagons that are precision made (to be perfect), from glass and are coated with a mixture of metals including sterling silver and real gold. The pillow is hand-made, hand-embroidered, and hand-beaded (such patience...).

Here is just another "family photo" of Mocha Meringue...

Back to work!...

another Glimpse...

...of the growing "Mocha Meringue" family of creations...

In this photo, you see three pieces - partials on a dark chocolate Mocha Meringue pillow (which you've already gotten a glimpse of), a dark chocolate "Totse" (that's pronounced TOTE-SEE), which is a tote/purse combo, and, an item from the "SISSY" line...

Like the pillow, the "totse" is hand-embroidered, three-dimensional, and sports precious beads - this time in sterling silver.

The next picture introduces an item from my SISSY line called the "mini-scarf". This one is also made from the Mocha Meringue fabric line, as a well as coordinating SISSY yarns in colors to compliment the Mocha Meringue line.

The SISSY mini-scarf is designed to pretend to be an accessory to your favorite blouse or top, yet in the SISSY spirit, actually keep you warm in those dreadfully cold restaurants and shopping malls we like to frequent so much. (Sometimes I'll even put one on at home when my husband has control of the air-conditioning! Brrrrrrrrr...

Casual enough to wear with jeans, this SISSY also sports some hand applied, strategically placed precision glass beads from Japan with a real sterling silver finish for just a hint of sparkle! (I just can't help myself.)

This mini also introduces a different color scheme for my Mocha Meringue collection called "Hazelnut"!

See these and more when I begin to place my creations on my Etsy site "Poladora".


Now, where is that chocolate that I hid from the hubby?...